Wimbledon is over for another year after Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the final for the second year in a row. The WTA Tour now switches back to clay with events in Budapest and Palermo. The opening day of the Budapest Grand Prix has a strong schedule of eight matches despite seven players withdrawing from the event. We at LWOT predict all the contests split between this and a separate article. But which players do you think will prevail on Day 1?
WTA Budapest Day 1 Predictions
Varvara Gracheva vs Suzan Lamens
Head-to-head: First meeting
Gracheva will be happy to return to clay after her run to the fourth round at Roland-Garros. She is also on the French Olympic team, meaning a good run in Budapest would be valuable preparation. Her overall game, at its best, is certainly stronger than Lamens. However, Gracheva can be very inconsistent, which is why she was having a difficult season before her run at the French Open. Nonetheless, I still expect her to overcome this test.
Prediction: Gracheva in 2
Rebeka Masarova vs Natalia Szabanin
Head-to-head: First meeting
Masarova has endured a very difficult year so far. A 1-6 2-6 hammering last week by Maria Lourdes Carle at the WTA 125 event in Sweden was a new low point for her. Despite her struggles, she could not have asked for a better draw in Budapest. Szabanain is a local wild card who is ranked outside the Top 500. Although she will receive great crowd support, overcoming the Spaniard seems like a big ask. Masarova really will be at crisis point if she is knocked out.
Prediction: Masarova in 2
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Head-to-head: First meeting
This promises to be a tight battle. Schmiedlova is slightly more consistent on clay and has enjoyed her best success on the surface, including a run to the fourth round of the French Open two years ago. Rakhimova likes hard courts the most, but her best level can be very tough to stop when she finds it. Overall, though, I trust Schmiedlova’s consistency more in this matchup.
Prediction: Schmiedlova in 3
Viktoriya Tomova vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Head-to-head: First meeting
Tomova had a tough first few months of the season. However, she found some before Wimbledon by winning a WTA 125 event on clay in Valencia before making the semifinal of the Bad Homburg Open. She was then unfortunate to run into an in-form Wang Xinyu in the opening round at SW19. Sasnovich’s favourite surface is clay, but she has rarely found her best tennis this year. Tomova is the No. 2 seed in Budapest, and I think she will progress in straight sets.
Prediction: Tomova in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
